Rethinking...

Earlier this month I celebrated (okay, truth is I passed - I didn't really do anything to celebrate) the first anniversary of starting this blog. A month or so earlier I had intentions of doing something special...maybe even a giveaway or something. But what happened in reality is that the anniversary passed in the middle of a month when I haven't blogged at all...interesting way to celebrate, huh?

So, both the anniversary and the non-blogging month have caused me to wonder about my blog and to ask questions about why and what and when I write.

I've been aware of my own struggle with what to write. I fluctuate between wanting to stick to my stated purpose of talking about faith and parenting and then at other times just wanting to write cute stuff my kids do. Mostly this last year I just tried to set that struggle aside and blog what came to me.

I've been aware of my struggle about why I write. Sometimes simply because I like to. Sometimes because I feel I have something worthwhile to say. Sometimes to record thoughts and events. Sometimes in hopes that what I write will be read.

I've been aware of my struggle with when to write. Part of the year I participated faithfully in weekly writing events and appreciated the discipline of it. Part of the year I didn't, resulting in two different periods of a month (or more) with no writing.

I've also been aware that sometimes this blog feels like something else that demands more of me than I have to give while sometimes I'm glad I have it.

In the coming year I'm going to work to...
1) Incorporate helpful discipline without letting it control my writing (because then it's no longer helpful).
2) Accept the strengths and weaknesses of my writing.
3) Write what I know, which sometimes will directly connect to my stated purpose and sometimes not.
4) I also suspect I'll write more about faith in general without making explicit connections to parenting. After all, I come with the basic belief that everything about what we believe and how we interact with our faith does effect our parenting, whether directly or not.
5) Mostly I'm going to try to let this blog be what it needs and what I need.

Looking forward to another year...